I Refused To Be Reincarnated

"I\'m telling you! The thunder wolf will beat the goblin!" A young student from his class exclaimed excitedly.

"No way. This goblin looks like a veteran. With his equipment and a bit of help, he\'ll win!" Another student answered, his gaze focused on the battle.

"What is happening?" Julius asked, carried by the general excitement.

The older student\'s eyes brightened at the question. "One of our members wants to take a more active role in the club. He has to beat an older student to be accepted." He responded before explaining the rules.

After the lengthy explanation, Julius summarised them, his voice showcasing his growing interest. "Two people duel using a deck of twenty talismans. They each have three castles. Once they are destroyed, they lose, right?"

"More or less. We\'ll transfer monster souls into cars to make it more convenient." The older student explained excitedly, pointing at the goblin and its master, who released a spell on it, "During each of your turns, you can use a supportive spell to boost one of your monsters or alter the terrain before and after attacking."

Echoing his words, the goblin\'s sword suddenly blazed with furious flames as numbers appeared above its head.

ATK 1200->1500.

Adam\'s eyes glowed passionately at the interactive game, eager to complete his deck and compete in the tournament he heard about during their inscription. Then, he gazed at the scene in more detail.

Each student stood behind a table filled with magic inscriptions and three slots to place cards. Before them, a realistic illusion depicted three miniaturised castles. The field was divided in the middle by a large plain monsters would fight on.

Suddenly, the goblin\'s master voice resounded in the room with a command. "Engage in battle!"

Following the order, the lifelike illusions of the two monsters entered the plain.

The wolf opened its mouth, revealing its sharp fangs as lightning danced on its yellow fur before lunging at the small goblin.

In response, the green creature cut the air with his burning sword, dividing the wolf and engulfing its body in fire.

However, before the burning parts of the defeated monster could hit the ground, they exploded in a rain of sparkles.

"That student did his homework. Thanks to the boosting spell, he defeated a stronger enemy." The older student said, nodding approvingly before adding, "The goblin can now progress towards the castle. If he wins his next battle, he can destroy it."

Julius nodded in understanding, captivated by the match, as the wolf owner frowned. He drew a card from his deck before smiling ominously.

"Come forth, Spectral Warden!" He exclaimed, slapping his card on the table\'s slot.

Echoing his words, a thick mist materialised in front of his besieged castle, swirling ominously in the wind before taking the ethereal form of a heavily armored knight carrying an enormous great sword.

Not wasting time, he immediately engaged him in battle. After all, the attack points displayed above its head reached 1600.

Julius gazed at the ghostly apparition before turning to his big brother, a peculiar gleam in his eyes. He had always pondered the true extent of his brother\'s strength and couldn\'t help but question how much attack he would have if he were turned into a card.

Unable to defeat his opponent, the goblin exploded into light particles under its owner\'s aggrieved gaze. However, before he could start his turn, his opponent swiftly cast a spell.

The sky darkened as graves rose from the plain, turning it into an eery cemetery.

"Use your effect." He ordered the Spectral Warden under everyone\'s bathed breaths.

The warden nonchalantly plunged his hand into the soft soil and pulled a ghost with 1000 attack points from it.

"Sigh, the match is over." The older student shook his head, explaining, "Instead of using a boosting spell, he altered the field after the battle, allowing him to trigger the warden\'s summoning effect."

Upon hearing the explanation, Adam\'s eyes narrowed in interest. The game\'s complexity excited him to no end. Moreover, each deck was unique, as the cards came from genuine monsters.

The rest of the match unfolded without surprise. The warden summoned another ghost in each turn, filling his owner\'s field and allowing him to launch multiple attacks on the castles overwhelming his opponent.

"Starting from tier two, monsters have unique effects capable of turning the tables of the match. I recommend you to trade or buy a few to strengthen your deck." The older student said as the excitement for the duel died down after such a crushing defeat.

Julius nodded before walking to another student seated at a counter with various cards and talismans displayed behind a glass. He checked the prices with frightful eyes.

Tier-two harpy: 40 golds.

Tier-two Treant: 55 golds.

Tier-three Gravewalker: 423 golds.

Then, a card covered by a thick mana barrier caught his attention.

Tier-four Shadowfiend: 2500 golds.

Julius loudly gulped at the crazy prices. A single card could cover his enrollment fees twelve times!

"Hey, newbie. Want to buy, sell or convert talismans into cards?" The student behind the counter asked bluntly.

"Sell the bear, convert Thomas and buy eleven talismans," Adam instructed, as shocked as the boy. He underestimated the game\'s popularity and people\'s willingness to spend money on it.

Julius retrieved the two talismans and handed them to the man after a brief explanation.

"Converting a talisman costs one gold." He said, lazily standing up and grabbing the items before placing them on a desk filled with painting utensils. After using his mana, the desk came to life as it absorbed the talismans inside its wooden surface.

Soon, the utensils moved on their own, painting two blank cards with images and rows of texts before injecting the souls into them.

Done with the process, the man leisurely gazed at the result before shock covered his face.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, reading the name of the card depicting the mix of a human and a monkey again and again.

Tier-Four Swiftshadow Simian Knight.